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'Something for girls and something for boys, 
Our story will treat of/ holiday joys." • 



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j|oiD tl;e5t^^P^^^$i^^kiijgs ^pent (^hnistmas. 



By Nellie R. Marshall. 







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H<-«- 



OMETHING for girls and somethino- for boys: 
Our story will treat of holiday joys; 
While each one listens with ears attent 
We'll tell how Christmas by two boys was 
spent. 



Now we expect there is nodding of curls, 
And wonderings strange, what's become of the 

girls; 
Ah! they were there, too, and full of fun, 
As cheerful and bright as the noonday sun. 

Such boys we neyer, no, neyer saw; 
^ One's name was John, but they called him 

Jackdaw; 
Is Edvyard, the other, was nicknamed Ned; 

Nothing more novy of the boys need be said. 



^/^^HE girls were Florence, Alice and Belle; 

'^'Y^ They, too, loved mischief as one soon could 
tell; 
They talked about Christmas plans so nice. 
And tried to keep still as three little mice. 

Just before Christmas— not more than a week 

The o-irls met together in whispers to speak 
y About how they-d hang their stockings so high 
That the boys could not reach them, nor into 
them spv. 



'' Then, too,'\said Florence, "ours striped will be." 
"But Ned's look so different; they're socks, you 



see. 



Said Alice, the pet, who had nothing to fear 
From the boys who played pi'anks with the girls 
every vear. 



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^j^ LORENCE had Belle with her to agree 

That the girls' distinction the "stripes" should 
J. ^^^5 

J "For how are we sure that Santa Claus knows 
I Which are the whole, and which the half-hose?" 







H;J'/UTSIDE of the door where these three met, 
Were two Httle heads that seemed wiser yet; 
Jackdaw and Xed had asked to come in, 
And being denied, thev thought Hstening no sin. 



I 



" If they ha^■e the ' stripes,' then, I shall, too," 
Said Ned, as he waited to hear them through; 
" But, Neddie," said Jackdaw, " we're too big 

for those, 
Still, it's almost a yard from the top to the toes." 



"And just for once, on this Christmas Eve, 
We had better adopt 'em, I do believe; 
We ^^■ill hang ours up later, after the rest. 
Then Florence can't say that we're served the 
best." 




^» 





^PLANS all perfected, the stockinors are hiin«', 
^&-. The evening prayer finished, a choral is sung-. 
Belle, Florence and Alice, Jackdaw and ^cd^ 
Each with his secret has crept into hed. 



-^yz/l^. 



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W RE long a jingle you all may have heard, 
r- Was followed by Santa Clans, feathered and 
furred : 
wSoftly he peers at the stockings around, 
^ Greatly he wonders no boys' could be foinid. 



"Five little girls!" he exclaims, half aloud; 

" I'll give them something of which to be proud, 

And useful as well — girls like to sew; 

Here is a thimble and work-box, so-ho!" 

He fills them with dolls and dresses as well. 
And fancy hair ribbons — a warm hood for Belle; 
" Yes, hoods alike for four others," he sighs, 
" Will surely be nice and quite a surprise." 




W\^E think you fancy the morning call, 
^^^/%^ "^ The rush for the stockino-s by one and all; 
J>ut 



who do you think then opened their 
N) eyes 

With a look of the l^lankest, most perfect 
surprise? 



The girls, with their ribbons, dolls and 

hoods, 
Or the boys, with thimbles and sundry dr\- 

goods ? 
"It seryed them right" was the ^•erdict of all. 
For standing and listening in the hall. 

Just here we obserye a moral lies. 

And one that may open our blinded eyes; 

That we should receiye what our lot may 

prepare. 
Nor enyy the " stripes," nor a neighl^or his 

share. 





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